CS-SUNN Commemorates 10th Year Anniversary, Highlight Achievements In Bauchi
By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
As part of activities marking the 10th year anniversary of Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) in Nigeria, Bauchi State chapter of the coalition have organized a media parley with Journalists in Bauchi.
Addressing the Journalists, CS-SUNN Bauchi Chapter Secretary Dabis Mwalike said that the 10th Year Anniversary provides an avenue to reflect on CS-SUNN’s efforts in curbing Malnutrition and the impact it made in Bauchi State and the Country at large.
Mwalike said that at the State Chapter level, it has been 10 years of empowering communities, advocating for nutrition, and driving positive change across the State and that such activities and programs were geared towards having a more nutrition secured community across the State.
The Secretary also informed that over the years, CS-SUNN has led Nigerian civil societies in partnership with government agencies, development partners, the media, and communities to implement nutrition interventions nation-wide.
“It has been a decade of impactful fight against malnutrition in Nigeria, through developing nutrition policies, plans and advocating for adequate funding for nutrition in Nigeria”, said Mwalike.
The Secretary also disclosed that, despite all the achievements recorded, Malnutrition remains a concern to public health and threat to child survival, growth, and development in Bauchi State.
The Secretary supported the Coalition’s concerns using the National Nutrition Health Survey (NNHS 2018) and the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS 2018) as evidence.
She said that according to the 2018 NNHS and NDHS, Bauchi State stunting rate among children is 46 percent, wasting is 9.5 percent, while underweight is 28.2 percent and overweight is 0.5 percent.
Mwalike said that, towards reversing the indices, Bauchi State Chapter of CS-SUNN participated in some major activities and programs that include: Partnership with international partners and the State Committee for Food and Nutrition in the development of the Bauchi State Policy on Food and Nutrition, Multisectoral Plan of Action for nutrition, among other policies and documents.
Other activities, according to the Secretary, were centered on sustained advocacy efforts that paved the way for creating a nutrition budget line in the State.
She further stated that the State Chapter also carried out Community mobilization and engagements in achieving nutrition goals and also got the Support of religious/traditional leaders in creating awareness for uptake of nutrition services among other engagements.
Our correspondent reports that the Bauchi based CSOs that made the CS-SUNN state chapter are: FAcE PaM, WEIN, AfriHUB, RAHAMA, BERI, ACCHAWEI and Life Helpers Initiative among others.
